As Pa Ayo Adebanjo passes
By Oduche Azih
A report in the Punch newspaper of January 30, 2025 said: “The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, maintained on Wednesday that Pa Reuben Fasoranti is the group’s only national leader.
“This was disclosed by the Organising Secretary of the group, Kole Omololu, in a statement made available to newsmen in Akure, Ondo State.”
I wonder who asked them.
I never imagined that the dispute was still raging this late in the day. Then I finally got it.
“The group was reacting to the recent appointment of a lawyer and human rights activist, Dele Farotimi, as the National Organising Secretary of the Pa Ayo Adebanjo-led faction of the group.
“Farotimi’s appointment was announced in a communique on Tuesday, after the faction’s general meeting at the residence of its leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State.”
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I too was surprised when I saw Dele Farotimi on television during the initial announcements of the sad passing of Pa Ayo Adebanjo. Apart from his right to show up wherever the action is, this press release by those purporting to speak for Pa Reuben Fasoranti makes the controversy, which refuses to go away, more stark.
I am seriously scandalized. Those who desire to put Ndigbo down, have always disdainfully pointed out all signs of disunity. As for the Om’Odua the shoe has been on the other foot for a very long time now. If I have any dispute with Ndi Yoruba, my one prayer, now and for the future, is that they be united. Without this, no resolution would hold water. See how everybody has been on tenterhooks in Lagos State of late.
This is a serious matter of enlightened self-interest for Ndigbo.
The Afenifere Refuzniks had repudiated the well-documented ascendancy of Pa Ayo Adebanjo to the leadership of Afenifere, at the announced retirement of Fasoranti, on the altar of the need to endorse the Jagaban Bola Ahmed Tinubu for President. To set the records straight, I have been looking forward to their officially deleting the records that Pa Fasoranti having ever retired. In that vein, all reports in the media concerning the nomination, and election by acclamation or otherwise of Pa Adebanjo have to be a figment of the imagination of the press that has religiously covered the proceedings these past several years.
The revisionism has been reprehensible. Hence the passing of Pa Adebanjo at the ripe age of 96, ahead of his predecessor (?) has presented all of us with a dilemma. Many of us, including yours sincerely, never knew of any factions in Afenifere until the matter of Adebanjo’s unapologetic endorsement of #PeterObi tore members of the same family apart. What if Adebanjo had died a whole lot later? Would the fences have been fully mended?
Who knows?
In the light of all this, those now shoving for the vantage position up front to eulogize Pa Adebanjo will be hard pressed to discount his controversial leadership of Afenifere. Was he or was he not the leader of Afenifere? Since the earlier handing over of the baton, I am yet to see or hear Pa Reuben Fasoranti present himself as still the leader of Afenifere. He had chosen to go with the flow, confirming nothing and refuting nothing.
The younger gladiators must understand that Pa Fasoranti will not be there forever to cover up for their ambition, disrespect and mistakes. They have used the name Fasoranti for their own ends for way too long. The time has long passed for them to get all the factions together and elect an Afenifere leader acceptable to all. Stretching out Fasoranti’s relevance for their personal ambitions and gain is a mark of serious disrespect. Thankfully, (I mean no disrespect), Pa Ayo Adebanjo has removed himself from the equation.
Om’Odua, please hurry and get your act together. Nigeria needs Yoruba Unity. Even if Nigeria splits, we still need a reliable, solidly-united Oduduwaland as a neighbour. I cannot imagine our grandchildren thinking otherwise.
- Engr. Oduche Azih wrote in from Isolo, Lagos State
